halofanonfandomcom-20200223-history
10,248 Days of War: A Chronology of the Human-Covenant War
From its beginning on February 11, 2525 to its end on March 3, 2553, a total of ten thousand, two hundred and forty-eight days, the Human-Covenant War raged across the Orion Arm of the Milky War Galaxy. With tens of billions of lives lost and millions missing on both sides, the twenty-eight year war shattered the Covenant Empire and nearly destroyed Humanity. 10,248 Days of War endeavors to present a simultaneous chronology of the war, ranging across every theater of conflict and encompassing related events both military and political. Background 2462 Covenant space: The Unggoy Rebellion begins and ends, ushering the Covenant Empire into the Twenty-Third Age of Doubt. The interim Hierarchs of the Thirty-Ninth Age of Conflict are replaced by the High Prophetess of Obligation and High Prophets of Restraint and Tolerance. 2494 Human space: The Insurrection begins, resulting a major build-up of human military forces. Several of the programs and technologies launched in response to the Insurrection will prove crucial in the conflict with the Covenant, most notably the SPARTAN-II Program and the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. 2513 Human space: The Colonial Military Administration suffers a mass defection in personnel and equipment to several insurrectionist entities; the United Nations Space Command subsequently dismantles the CMA and attempts to purge its insurrectionist sympathies. The UNSC moves aggressively against various rebellions, dealing with the perceived treachery of the CMA with extreme force. While undeniably effective, the retaliatory attacks negatively affect the public image of the United Nations Space Command in the outer colonies. 2515 Human space: A much-reduced Colonial Military Administration returns to service under the authority of the United Nations Space Command. This "New CMA" still serves to improve relations between colonials and the UNSC, but is only partially successful. Outer colonies remain generally opposed to permanent or temporary long-term military garrisons or defense fleets. 3 September 2524 Epsilon Indi system perimeter: Covenant missionary ship Minor Transgression attacks and loots the unmanned Human freighter Horn of Plenty, after the freighter suffers a slipspace drive malfunction and reverts to real space. Covenant forces seize the freighter's navigation computer and destroy Horn of Plenty; Minor Transgression moves into the Epsilon Indi system. 22 December 2524 Epsilon Indi system: Covenant missionary ship Minor Transgression captures the human freighter This End Up, and inadvertently kill its sole crew member. The Minor Transgression destroys the damaged human ship and proceeds further towards the Human colony world of Harvest. 2525 17 January Epsilon Indi system: Human and Covenant forces engage in a brief skirmish aboard the human freighter Bulk Discount, resulting in the destruction of the Covenant missionary vessel Minor Transgression. Two Covenant personnel escape the vessel's destruction, however. High Charity: Notification of the recent findings of the Minor Transgression are successfully transmitted to the Ministry of Tranquility. Vice Minister of Tranquility Lod Mron intercepts the report and, realizing its implications, dispatches the Covenant light cruiser to the Epsilon Indi system. Notably, the Rapid Conversion is the only cruiser in the Covenant Navy commanded and crewed by Jiralhanae. 18 January High Charity: Vice Minister of Tranquility Lod Mron and Minister of Fortitude Ord Casto enter into a conspiracy to hide the discoveries of the Minor Transgression in a bid to unseat the current leadership of the Covenant. Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Human sloop is dispatched to Reach requesting immediate military deployment to Harvest, against the wishes of the colonial government. It arrives on March 4. 3 February Epsilon Indi system: Covenant light cruiser Rapid Conversion enters the Epsilon Indi system and recovers survivors from the Minor Transgression. The Rapid Conversion is detected at extreme range by the human space station Tiara orbiting Harvest. 7-10 February Epsilon Indi system: Covenant light cruiser Rapid Conversion slowly approaches Harvest, arriving late on February 10. — Harvest: Preparations are made on Harvest in anticipation of alien forces, both diplomatic and military in nature. 11 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Covenant forces deploy from the light cruiser Rapid Conversion, meeting with human representatives in Harvest's sizable Botanical Gardens. Negotiations fail and result in immediate violence, inadvertently initiated by low-ranking Covenant personnel. Both sides suffer minor casualties, and Covenant forces withdraw from the Gardens. The Human-Covenant War unofficially begins. *Participants of the failed negotiations on Harvest include: Planetary Governor , Lieutenant Commander , Marine Captain (wounded), Planetary Attorney General (killed), and Covenant Chieftain of the Jiralhanae . Chieftain Maccabeus consults with Unggoy Deacon Dadab concerning the findings of Rapid Conversion's Luminary and transmits a report to the Vice Minister of Tranquility indicating the discovery of an Oracle. 11-21 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest orbit: Covenant forces move to high orbit and remain effectively inactive for ten days, awaiting further orders from High Charity. 15-21 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Planet-wide broadcasts are made requesting the population of Harvest to relocate to the capital city of Utgard, due to the failure of negotiations following first contact. Most do not adhere to this request. 20 February High Charity: Co-conspirators Lod Mron and Ord Casto visit the Forerunner Keyship at the heart of High Charity as a formality following their blackmail of the High Prophet of Restraint. While there, they inadvertently trigger a response from the Keyship's intelligence, which identifies Humanity as its makers. Philologist Hod Rumnt joins the conspiracy and the trio agrees to keep secret their discovery in order to preserve the Covenant. Lod Mron transmits orders to Rapid Conversion to exterminate the population of Harvest and denying the discovery of an oracle. 21 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Covenant forces deploy to the Tiara, effectively severing Harvest's interstellar communications; light cruiser Rapid Conversion continues into Harvest's atmosphere and begins destroying outlying human structures near the settlement of Gladsheim. 22 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Rapid Conversion destroys hundreds of remote human residences, killing approximately 3,000 people. Gladsheim is successfully evacuated, however, and intervening Covenant forces are repelled. Following the destruction of the (abandoned) city of Gladsheim and outlying residences, the people of Harvest quickly adhere to a renewed planet-wide evacuation request and gather at Utgard. 23 February Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Human forces launch a tactical strike against Covenant forces on the Tiara space station and overwhelm them; simultaneously, Harvest's mass driver is utilized to effectively disable the Rapid Conversion. Despite militia casualties and the loss of more than 20,000 civilians, the evacuation of Harvest is accomplished, saving 277,000 human colonists. *Due to the loss of interstellar communications on February 21 and the relatively slow speed of the evacuation transports, the majority survival of the population of Harvest is not realized by the United Nations Space Command until December. *The senior Covenant officer of the Rapid Conversion, Maccabeus, is challenged and killed by his nephew Tartarus. While Tartarus assumes leadership of the immediate pack, the death of Maccabeus throws the Jiralhanae into political crisis, as none are universally accepted as his successor as "Chieftain of the Jiralhanae". 24 February Co-conspirators Ord Casto, Hod Rumnt, and Lod Mron are anointed as High Prophets, assuming the titles of Truth, Mercy, and Regret, respectively. The Ninth Age of Reclamation is declared begun. The declaration of a new age and the discovery of the existence of Forerunner structures known as "Halos" is broadcast throughout all Covenant space. Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: The Rapid Conversion sets about glassing Harvest and transmits its report to High Charity. 27 February Epsilon Eridani system: In response to cessation of communications with Harvest on February 21, the Colonial Military Administration dispatches the scout vessel to Harvest. 4 March Epsilon Eridani system: The UNSC Walk of Shame arrives in-system and transmits a priority request to the Office of Naval Intelligence. 15 March High Charity: The High Prophet of Truth orders the preparation of a special task force, with the objective of locating any forerunner artifacts that may have escaped human notice or survived their heresy. The task force takes shape as the Fleet of Pious Candor. 5 April High Charity: The five ships of the Fleet of Pious Candor depart High Charity for the Epsilon Indi system; Pious Candor comprises 1 fleet carrier, 1 battleship, 1 heavy destroyer, and 2 missionary vessels, and has General Bero 'Wattinree as its Commander. Traveling aboard the carrier Righteous Ire is a ground force of 3,636 Covenant personnel (415 Sangheili, 799 Kig-Yar, and 2,422 Unggoy). 20 April Epsilon Indi system: The human scout vessel CMA Argo arrives in the Epsilon Indi system, near Harvest. It is quickly engaged and destroyed by the partially-repaired Covenant light cruiser Rapid Conversion. The Argo is lost with all hands. 27 April Epsilon Indi system: The Fleet of Pious Candor arrives in-system; Covenant carrier Righteous Ire begins deploying ground forces to Harvest. Commander 'Wattinree orders the heavy destroyer Vigorous Blade to escort the damaged Jiralhanae light cruiser Rapid Conversion back to Covenant space for repairs; the battleship Merciless Devotion and both missionary vessels remain in high orbit over Harvest. — Harvest: The Covenant ground force deploys first to the ruins of Utgard before beginning their investigations. Sangheili General Bero 'Wattinree orders the construction of a supply base within the ruined city, with basic defensive fortifications encircling the boundary of Utgard. 3 May Epsilon Indi system: Covenant carrier Righteous Ire departs for High Charity with a request for additional excavation equipment and technical advice from various Covenant ministries. 10 May Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Covenant forces complete construction of the Utgard supply base; investigations into the ruined city proper begin in earnest. 19 August Epsilon Eridani system: The Colonial Military Administration dispatches CMA Battle Group 4 to Harvest. Comprising the destroyer Heracles and frigates Arabia and Vostok, the battle group is under the command of veteran Captain Maribeau Veredi. 7 October Epsilon Indi system: Human Battle Group 4 arrives in the Epsilon Indi system; after briefly surveying the razed surface of the planet Harvest, the CMA battle group is engaged by the Covenant battleship Merciless Devotion. The Covenant battleship destroys frigates CMA Arabia and CMA Vostok, and badly damages the destroyer CMA Heracles. Both Arabia and Vostok are lost with all hands, while Heracles escapes into Slipspace. 714 CMA personnel are killed in the engagement. Covenant missionary ship Spirit of Fortune departs Harvest for High Charity with news of the encounter and evidence suggesting additional human worlds. 25 October High Charity: The Covenant missionary ship Spirit of Fortune arrives at the Covenant capital and delivers its report to the High Council. The revelation of possible additional Human worlds causes an immediate uproar; fully backed by the High Council, the Hierarchs order the Ministry of Tranquility to redeploy its missionary fleet to the suspected boundary of human space at once. Thirteen missionary ships prepare for departure immediately; additional ships are recalled from other assignments to High Charity. Covenant missionary ships Meritorious Adventure, Path of Serenity, Sacred Enterprise, Tenacity, and Unrelenting depart High Charity for Human Space. 26 October High Charity: Covenant missionary ships Boundless Alacrity, Ever Willing, Holy Vision, and Unerring Commitment depart for Human Space. 29 October High Charity: Covenant missionary ships Perspicacious, Redeemer of Sorrows, Song of Solace, and Spirit of Fortune depart for Human Space. 31 October Epsilon Eridani system: The CMA Heracles arrives near Reach and immediately transmits its report to UNSC Fleet Command, which quickly transmits it to UNSC High Command. 1 November Human space: The United Nations Space Command goes on alert. UNSC High Command orders immediate mobilization of forces across Human space. UNSC Naval Command creates and dispatches battle groups to defend human colonies. UNSC Battle Group X-Ray is formed around a handful of cruisers and destroyers; retired Vice Admiral Preston Cole is selected to command it. Vice Admiral Cole resumes active service on November 2. 7 November Second Base: Covenant missionary ship Tenacity approaches the human colony world of Second Base. Observing spacecraft operating near the planet, Tenacity records the planet as a human world and departs for High Charity, arriving on November 17. 13 November Green Hills: Covenant missionary ship Holy Vision arrives near Green Hills and discovers the human presence there. Holy Vision leaves Green Hills and departs for High Charity, delivering its report on November 26. 22 November Bliss: The human colony world of Bliss is covertly observed by the Covenant missionary ship Path of Serenity, which records its location and apparent defenses and departs for High Charity. Path of Serenity returns to the Covenant capital on December 6. *The report on Bliss compiled by Y'gar 'Soramee, Ship Master of the Path of Serenity, incorrectly indicated human space forces as over twenty-five ships, resulting in a much larger deployment of Covenant warships to that world early in 2526. 'Soramee evidently mistook an outbound freighter group as a warship cluster. 27 November Chi Ceti system: Covenant missionary ship engages the human frigate UNSC Commonwealth in the Chi Ceti system; after a brief engagement that severely damages both vessels, the Unrelenting withdraws away from the Commonwealth for minor repairs, fatally allowing the human warship to deliver the entire SPARTAN-II unit to Chi Ceti IV. When Unrelenting returns against Chi Ceti IV and the damaged Commonwealth, members of the SPARTAN-II Unit board the Covenant missionary ship and successfully destroy it from within, suffering only one fatality in the process. *SPARTAN-II Petty Officer is killed in action. 11 December Covenant space: The Covenant fleet Resplendent Piety departs for the human colony of Second Base with twenty-eight ships: 2 assault carriers, 11 cruisers, and 15 destroyers. Resplendent Piety is commanded by Fleet Master Veer 'Umamee. Included in the invasion force is a zealot unit led by Field Marshal Ndar 'Mantakree. 15 December Alpha Aurigae system: Covenant missionary ship Ever Willing arrives on the boundary of the Alpha Aurigae system; after detecting human spacecraft on December 17, the Ever Willing departs for High Charity, arriving on January 29, 2526. 17 December Covenant space: The Covenant fleet Courageous Fervor departs for the human world of Green Hills with thirty-seven ships: 3 assault carriers, 15 cruisers, and 19 destroyers. Courageous Fervor is commanded by Fleet Master Bisa 'Ravamee. 30 December Biko: The human colony world of Biko is observed by the Covenant missionary ship Meritorious Adventure. which quickly departs for High Charity; Meritorious Adventure arrives on February 2, 2526. 2526 8 January Second Base: The twenty-eight ships of Resplendent Piety arrive near the human colony of Second Base and easily overwhelm the frigate and two corvettes of UNSC Battle Group Echo-7; Fleet Master 'Umamee deploys ground forces near the northern city of Port Hassan, Field Master Thon 'Nbekee commanding. 'Umamee also dispatches several teams of Sangheili Zealots to the planet, under the command of Field Marshal Ndar 'Mantakree. Following the destruction of the battle group and the arrival of Covenant ground forces, Governor Derek Ghaznavi orders the full mobilization of the planetary militia. In an emergency session, the parliament of Second Base authorizes the enlistment of 80,000 additional militia. 9 January Second Base: Covenant ground forces assail Port Hassan, the northernmost large settlement of the continent Rossignol. Despite emergency mobilization, the city's defenses are ill-equipped against the attack and begin crumbling. Additional Covenant ground forces, led by Field Master Ando 'Zoree, deploy to the northern extremes of the western continent Wohlstand, near the mining settlement of Jordanstown; the settlement is reinforced by militia from the city of Victoria. 10 January Second Base: Port Hassan is overwhelmed, and its remaining defenders and residents are hunted down by Covenant ground forces; zealots search the ruined city for artifacts. Covenant ground forces assault Jordanstown in northern Wohlstand. 11 January Second Base: Resplendent Piety lands small contingents of Covenant troops across Rossignol, primarily near the settlements of Cypher's Landing, Port Anders, and Port Laurent; Port Hassan is abandoned by Covenant ground forces and is subsequently glassed. Field Master 'Nbekee redeploys his army against the large city of Port Anders. Jordanstown is crushed by the Covenant; the ruined settlement is glassed as Field Master 'Zoree marches his army towards Victoria. The parliament of Second Base authorizes the enlistment of an additional 200,000 colonial militia, and the declaration of martial law under Governor Ghaznavi. *Taken together, the destruction of Port Hassan and Jordanstown result in nearly 50,000 human deaths. 12 January Second Base: Covenant forces step up their general offensive against the human population of Second Base. In central Wohlstand, a greatly reinforced Covenant army assaults the regional capital of Victoria, assisted by fighters and low-orbiting destroyers. Two hundred kilometers southeast of Victoria, the coastal city of Port Stanley is attacked by Covenant aircraft; the city is subjected to strafing and bombing. Along the western coast of Rossignol, Covenant forces besiege Port Anders and Port Laurent; Field Master 'Nbekee deploys artillery, mortar tanks, and fighters against each city. The Covenant suffers a minor setback, however, when a sizable detachment of colonial militia overwhelm a small Covenant force near Cypher's Landing. 13 January Second Base: On Wohlstand, Covenant forces press their assaults on Victoria and Port Stanley. Field Master Ando 'Zoree orders increasingly aggressive tactics against the defenders of Victoria, including the use of orbital strikes. Covenant aerial attacks on Port Stanley continue, with additional fighters and dropships becoming involved. As Covenant troops begin deploying into the embattled city, Field Marshal Ndar 'Mantakree personally leads his zealots into Port Stanley. On Rossignol, Field Master 'Nbekee divides his army, leaving a sizable siege force at Port Anders while the bulk of his army travels towards Cypher's Landing. 14 January Second Base: Covenant forces successfully crush resistance at Victoria; 'Zoree quickly moves his forces against Port Stanley, overwhelming the city's remaining defenses. Field Marshal 'Mantakree withdraws his forces from Port Stanley; after departing Wohlstand, he dispatches zealots to Port Anders and Port Laurent. 'Mantakree himself and dozens of zealots continue on towards Cypher's Landing. 'Nbekee, en route to Cypher's Landing with his army, engages and destroys a militia contingent attempting to reach Port Anders. Having completed their offensive on Wohlstand, Covenant forces withdraw from Victoria and Port Stanley; both cities are glassed. 15 January Second Base: Arriving by air from Wohlstand, Covenant forces arrive at Port Anders and Port Laurent. Port Anders, the second largest city of Second Base, survives the reinforced Covenant assault, though the outer perimeter is breached, and fighting reaches into the city center; Port Laurent, already greatly weakened by siege, is not fortunate. The southern city is overrun and destroyed. In central Rossignol, the huge Covenant army of Field Master Thon 'Nbekee arrives at the outskirts of Cypher's Landing. Cruisers and destroyers of Resplendent Piety move to low-orbit positions and begin glassing the continent of Wohlstand. 16 January Second Base: Covenant warships glass the city of Port Laurent; ground forces are redeployed to Cypher's Landing. Field Master 'Zoree takes command of all forces at Port Anders and orders preparations for an all-out attack; mortar units continue to shell the city. Field Master 'Nbekee begins his assault on Cypher's Landing: a widening series of attacks starting along the eastern perimeter of the city, and steadily spreading both north and south as Covenant forces encircle the planetary capital. 17 January Second Base: Field Master Ando 'Zoree launches an all-out attack on Port Anders; despite sizable Covenant casualties, the human defenders are totally overwhelmed and destroyed. Port Anders falls to the Covenant and is subsequently glassed. With the fall of Port Anders, Covenant forces are concentrated against the now fully-encircled city of Cypher's Landing. Despite overwhelming odds, Governor Derek Ghaznavi and the remaining defenders of Second Base resolve to fight on. Covenant space: The Covenant fleet Radiant Spirit departs for the human colony of Bliss with forty-five ships; with 5 assault carriers, 17 cruisers, and 23 destroyers, Radiant Spirit is commanded by Fleet Master Xytyr 'Mantakree and Zon Drun, Prophet of Compassion. 18 January Second Base: Field Masters Thon 'Nbekee and Ando 'Zoree launch simultaneous offensives on all sides of Cypher's Landing; human resistance remains fierce, but is unable to hold back the Covenant advance; fighting reaches the city center. Governor Ghaznavi is killed in combat, as are several of the colony's administrative and militia officers. Colonial civil administration and military command collapses as Cypher's Landing is overwhelmed. Covenant warships begin glassing northern Rossignol. 19 January Second Base: Field Marshal Ndar 'Mantakree reports his teams' findings to Fleet Master Veer 'Umamee. Covenant ground forces withdraw form Cypher's Landing; by the end of the day, all living Covenant personnel return to the Fleet of Resplendent Piety. Cypher's Landing, with the rest of Rossignol, is glassed. Any remaining colonists are killed in bombardment. In total, all 876,000 colonists of Second Base are killed by the Covenant. 20 January Second Base: Covenant forces complete the glassing of Second Base to the satisfaction of Fleet Master Veer 'Umamee; Resplendent Piety departs for Covenant space. 5 February Epsilon Eridani system: The recently-appointed Vice Admiral Preston Cole departs with UNSC Battle Group X-Ray for Harvest with orders to retake the world at all costs. Battle Group X-Ray, at forty ships, is one of the most powerful human fleets yet deployed, comprising fifteen cruisers, sixteen destroyers, and nine frigates. Cole commands X-Ray from the heavy cruiser Everest. 11 February Bliss: UNSC Battle Group Charlie-2 arrives near Bliss with 2 heavy cruisers (Matador and Weeping Willows) and 1 light frigate (Purpose). Vice Admiral Franklin Chen requests the parliament of Bliss to reconsider its prior refusal of UNSC defenses. Battle Group Charlie-2 takes up position between Bliss and its moon, Aires. 13 February Bliss: Radiant Spirit arrives near the human colony world of Bliss and launches an immediate attack; UNSC Battle Group Charlie-2 intercepts and engages the Covenant near the moon of Aires. Severely outmatched, all human vessels are destroyed in less than three minutes, with the Covenant proceeding to assault the planet. Covenant forces specifically target evacuation transports before the cruisers and destroyers of Radiant Spirit deploy to low orbits and begin glassing the planet's surface. Any colonists who survived the initial attacked are killed in the plasma bombardment; 15,000,000 civilians are killed. Human intelligence vessel UNSC Accra is discovered and destroyed by Covenant fighters. *Human loss of life at Bliss is misreported by Intersystem News on April 6, erroneously stating the death toll at 500,000,000 persons. 15 February Bliss: Covenant warships cease glassing operations over Bliss and withdraw to Covenant space. 18 February Bliss: The human heavy cruiser UNSC Prophecy arrives at Bliss and searches for survivors without success; before departing, the crew of the Prophecy retrieves the data recorder of the UNSC Accra. 1 March Epsilon Indi system: Battle Group X-Ray arrives in-system and quickly engages the Covenant battleship Merciless Devotion. Human weapons initially fail to produce results against the shields of Merciless Devotion, while the Covenant battleship destroys seven of X-Ray's destroyers; however, Vice Admiral Cole rallies the battle group and renews the attack on Merciless Devotion using all available ordnance against it. Despite taking additional losses (one light cruiser, three destroyers, and two frigates), Cole's gamble pays off and the Merciless Devotion is completely destroyed with all hands. *Approximately 1,000 Covenant personnel perish aboard the battleship Merciless Devotion; Battle Group X-Ray, having lost thirteen ships in the engagement, suffers almost 850 dead. 3 March Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: The 17th Marine Expeditionary Force deploys to Harvest, following an aerial bombardment of Covenant positions. Covenant General Bero 'Wattinree orders his available forces to reassemble outside the ruins of Utgard, forming a rough defensive line between human forces and the city. Weapon emplacements are brought out of the city to improve Covenant defenses. Late arriving field units fail to reach their assigned positions. — Ruins of Tigard: Marine aircraft intercept and destroy three Covenant dropships attempting to retreat to Utgard; Covenant losses include five Sangheili zealots. Survivors retreat to the ruined city of Tigard. 4 March Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Covenant positions are exposed to hit-and-run attacks during the night, and marine snipers begin to take a heavy toll on Covenant personnel. Marine forces subsequently assault and break through Covenant defenses, leading to a complete rout of Covenant ground units towards Utgard. Covenant losses are heavy in terms of personnel and equipment. General 'Wattinree nevertheless rallies his command to defend the ruined city and their remaining supplies. — Ruins of Utgard: Covenant forces attempt to reorganize and dig in across the city. By nightfall, human forces completely encircle the city. — Ruins of Tigard: Following repeated human airstrikes, two Sangheili zealots lead surviving Covenant personnel towards the polar region of Harvest. 5 March Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: The 17th Marine Expeditionary Force assaults the Covenant-held ruined city of Utgard. Following penetration of the city perimeter, Sangheili General Bero 'Wattinree is killed by a marine sniper, and the Covenant position collapses. Any remaining Covenant forces in Utgard are systematically destroyed by Marine forces. 7 March Epsilon Indi system - Harvest: Covenant forces make a last stand forty kilometers north of Tigard, but are easily defeated by marine units. *A tiny number of Covenant personnel continue to flee northwards, but ultimately succumb to starvation or exposure. 11 October Alpha Aurigae system: Fourteen Covenant warships (three carriers, seven cruisers, and four destroyers) of the Fleet of Unceasing Prayer arrive in-system and begin moving towards the human colony world of Capella; they are intercepted by the seventeen human warships of the UNSC Battle Group Tango-3, which deploy against the Covenant fleet from the Origami Asteroid Field. Tango-3 successfully destroys the nearest covenant warship, a cruiser, before retreating into the asteroid belt; a single human corvette is lost in the attack. The Covenant, stung by the loss, break off from their approach and pursue Tango-3 into the Origami Asteroid Field. The first Covenant warship to enter the asteroid belt, the light cruiser Valorous Blade, encounters a nuclear proximity mine and loses both shielding and navigation and is subsequently destroyed. Covenant forces continue their pursuit more carefully, successfully destroying a pair of human frigates and a human corvette. Tango-3's remaining thirteen warships continue to evade the Covenant. 21 October Alpha Aurigae system: The reinforced Battle Group X-Ray, now at one hundred and seventeen warships, engages the twelve Covenant warships of Unceasing Prayer in the Origami Asteroid Field. All twelve Covenant warships (including three assault carriers) are destroyed, while X-Ray loses thirty-seven ships. 11 November Ridgeway's Folly: Covenant missionary ship Song of Solace observes human spacecraft departing the colony world of Ridgeway's Folly. Song of Solace departs the system shortly after, returning to High Charity on December 5. 30 November Ridgeway's Folly: UNSC Battle Group Delta-5 arrives at Ridgeway's Folly with three warships: 1 destroyer and 2 frigates, under the command of Captain Aaron Jacobson. 2527 5 January Covenant space: Covenant fleet Strong Condemnation departs for the human colony of Ridgeway's Folly, under the command of Fleet Master Lav 'Utaralee. The fleet comprises five warships: 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, and 3 corvettes. 27 January Ridgeway's Folly: UNSC Battle Group Foxtrot-3 arrives with evacuation transports and seven warships: 1 heavy cruiser, 4 destroyers, and 2 frigates. Planetary evacuation is scheduled to be completed on January 30. The battle group's commanding officer, Rear Admiral Tiffany Gauthier, moves Foxtrot-3 approximately 5,000 kilometers distant to guard against potential Covenant approaches. 29 January Ridgeway's Folly: Covenant fleet Strong Condemnation arrives 20 million kilometers from Ridgeway's Folly, and moves to engage. Following an in-system jump, 'Utaralee's flagship, the cruiser Faith and Fury, is attacked by Rear Admiral Gauthier's battle group; retaining two corvettes to use against Foxtrot-3, 'Utaralee orders the destroyer Unfettered Wrath and corvette Energetic Resolution to continue to and raze the human colony. Both warships are attacked by Battle Group Delta-5. Foxtrot-3 suffers heavy casualties, both overwhelms and destroys the Covenant cruiser and both corvettes; Delta-5 is not so successful, despite destroying the corvette. Unfettered Wrath disengages from Delta-5 and moves to destroy the evacuation transports; in a last ditch effort, a frigate officer defies orders and rams the destroyer, bringing down its shields and allowing Delta-5 to destroy the Covenant vessel. *''Strong Condemnation'' is destroyed; the Covenant suffer over 3,600 fatalities, while human military casualties are under 200. No human civilians are killed or injured. 31 January Ridgeway's Folly: UNSC forces evacuate Ridgeway's Folly successfully, a day later than intended; the ships of both battle groups withdraw to Reach for much-needed repairs. 8 August Midas Asteroid Field: Covenant missionary vessel Ever Willing encounters the insurrectionist freighter Starchaser and immediately attacks; the human freighter is disabled and its crew killed. While moving to board the crippled freighter, the Ever Willing is ambushed and destroyed by the UNSC Silent Shade, a prowler that had been tailing the Starchaser. After removing the navigation computer from the Starchaser and salvaging the wreckage of the Ever Willing, the Silent Shade departs for Reach. 2528 2529 2530 2531 2532 2533 2534 2535 12 February Lambda Serpentis system: Jericho VII is evacuated as UNSC space forces withdraw; Covenant forces subsequently glass the planet. 2536 2537 2538 2539 2540 2541 2542 2543 2544 2545 2546 2547 2548 2549 2550 2551 2552 7 January Ariel: Covenant heavy cruiser Pious Fury arrives near and deploys ground forces to the human colony world of Ariel. Covenant ground forces quickly overwhelm the colonial militia and capture the majority of the planet's 4,000 colonists; despite the rapidity of their advance, however, the United Nations Space Command is alerted of the attack. The UNSC launches a small counter-attack to retake the colony, deploying two frigates and a detachment of the 105th Helljumpers to Ariel. The Covenant begins excavating shortly after securing the colony. 8 January Ariel: Covenant forces locate a Forerunner structure and begin exploring it; some human colonists are used to set off traps and defensive systems. Covenant ground forces move remaining human captives into the nearest human settlement, using them as makeshift prisons. Additional Covenant ground forces deploy to the more distant human settlement, garrisoning it against potential human reinforcements. Two UNSC frigates arrive at Ariel, and deploy a combat team of Helljumpers; Covenant forces remain unaware of the arrival of the human forces until their perimeter garrison is engaged. The Helljumpers engage and destroy the Covenant perimeter garrison and move against the second settlement, ambushing and eliminating all Covenant reaction units encountered. UNSC forces subsequently overwhelm the diminished Covenant garrison near the dig site and rescue all surviving colonists. Following the loss of immediate ground forces, the Covenant heavy cruiser Pious Fury deploys additional troops to Ariel, but recalls them following the destruction of the Forerunner artifact by marine personnel. All remaining Covenant forces evacuate Ariel and return to the Pious Fury, which quits the planet and withdraws. *Covenant losses during their invasion of Ariel are shockingly high: 1,037 dead, and a Phantom dropship destroyed. In stark contrast, Human fatalities number just 349. 22 April Fumirole: The UNSC launches a general counter-offensive against Covenant forces, successfully destroying a Covenant cruiser. 2 November Coelest system - Installation 05: The High Prophet of Regret is assassinated by SPARTAN-117. 3 November High Charity: The High Prophet of Mercy is killed during the evacuation of High Charity. 11 December Extragalactic space - Installation 00: The High Prophet of Truth is assassinated by Sangheili Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, preventing the activation of the Halo Array. 2553 3 March The Human-Covenant War officially ends.